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WHO reform: the debate

WHO reform: the debate

A collection of resources published by the Medicus Mundi international Network
for the Democratizing Global Health Coalition on the WHO Reform (DHG)

"The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends." About WHO www.who.int

"The world needs a global health guardian, a protector and defender of health, including the right to health." Margaret Chan, September 2011 www.euro.who.int

"The reform should be guided by public interest values and a clear vision of health for all, and its rationale must be based on a solid analysis of the challenges that WHO faces and their root causes. Such analysis has not been made available till now." (DGH core statement)

 

WHO reform: process and proposals

WHO reform: process and proposals

Introduction to the reform pages of the WHO website:

"The process of reform is Member State-driven and inclusive. The three objectives were defined at the Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly and at the Executive Board’s 129th session.

  • Improved health outcomes, with WHO meeting the expectations of its Member States and partners in addressing agreed global health priorities, focused on the actions and areas where the Organization has a unique function or comparative advantage, and financed in a way that facilitates this focus.
  • Greater coherence in global health, with WHO playing a leading role in enabling the many different actors to play an active and effective role in contributing to the health of all peoples.
  • An Organization that pursues excellence; one that is effective, efficient, responsive, objective, transparent and accountable (EBSS/2/2)."


WHO now refers to three "distinct and interconnected" fields of work:


Recently published overviews on the state of the WHO reform:

 

Reform process at the 66th World Health Assembly, 20-28 May 2013,
and the 133rd session of the WHO Executive Board, 29-30 May 2013

  • WHO reform: High-level implementation plan and report.
    Document A66/3
  • WHO reform: Financing of WHO
    Document A66/48
  • Draft Twelfth WHO General Programm of Work
    Document A66/6 with related resolutionA66/6 Add.1
  • Proposed programme budget 2014–2015
    Document A66/7 with related resolution A66/7 Add.1
  • WHO Governance report. Report by the secretariat
    Document EB133/16 
  • WHO reform, Governance: options for criteria for inclusion, exclusion or deferral of items on the provisional agenda of the Executive Board. Report by the Director-General
    Document EB133/3
  • Administration and management cost study
    Document EBPBAC18/3
  • Documents related to other elements of the WHO reform are not yet available.

Documentation of WHO governing body meetings: 66th WHA, 133nd session of WHO EB and 18th meeting of WHO PBAC

 

Consultations after the 132nd session of the WHO EB and in preparation of the 66th World Health Assembly and the 133rd session of the WHO EB

  • Public web consultation on WHO’s engagement with non-State actors, 6 to 20 March 2013


132nd session of the WHO Executive Board, 21-29 January 2013
Agenda item 5: WHO reform
Agenda item 11: Program and budget matters

  • "Following the requirements of decisions WHA65(9) and EB131(10), and the proposals for reporting made in document A65/5, the Secretariat has prepared reports covering the several topics requested by Member States, including: WHO’s hosting arrangement of health partnerships; considerations for draft policy on WHO’s engagement with nongovernmental organizations; methodologies of work of the governing bodies; scheduling of governing body meetings; shifting the financing year; streamlining national reporting; global health governance and alignment between global, regional and country offices; external evaluation; a report of the extraordinary meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee on financing; and the implementation of WHO reform. Discussion of the draft general programme of work and the Proposed programme budget 2014–2015 will take place under the relevant items."
    Document EB132/1: Annotated agenda
Implementation of WHO reform, 2012. Report by the Director-General

Document EB132/5 Add.8

  • WHO reform. Report by the Secretariat
    (overview on documents published for the EB session)
    Document EB 132/5
  • Implementation of WHO reform, 2012
    High-level implementation plan
    Document EB132/INF./3
  • WHO’s arrangements for hosting health partnerships and proposals for harmonizing WHO’s work with hosted partnerships. Report by the Secretariat
    Document EB132/5 Add.1
  • Key issues for the development of a policy on engagement with nongovernmental organizations. Report by the Director-General
    Document EB132/5 Add.2
  • Streamlining of the work of the governing bodies and harmonization and alignment of the work of regional committees
    Document EB132/5 Add.3
  • Options to streamline the reporting of and communication with Member States
    Document EB132/5 Add.4
  • WHO’s role in global health governance. Report by the Director-General
    Document EB132/5 Add.5
  • Review of management, administration and decentralization in the World Health Organization, report by the Joint Inspection Unit
    Document EB132/5 Add.6 - The report of the JIU is available here.
  • Modalities for the independent evaluation of the WHO reform: stage two
    Document EB132/5 Add.7
  • Report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board at its second extraordinary meeting, with focus on options for improving the transparency, predictability and flexibility of WHO’s financing
    Document EB132/3
  • Draft Twelfth WHO General Programm of Work
    draft for discussion by the Executive Board in January 2013
    Document EB132/26
  • Proposed programme budget 2014–2015
    Document EB132/27
    Document EB132/INF./4

Official documentation: 132nd session of WHO EB
Decisions and resolutions:Document EB132/DIV./3


Extraordinary meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board (PBAC), 6-7 December 2012, focused on improving WHO’s financing

  • Proposals to improve WHO’s financing. Report by the Secretariat
    Document EBPBAC/EXO2/2
  • Draft twelfth general programme of work and proposed programme budget 2014–2015: overview of discussions by the regional committees
    Document EBPBAC/EXO2/3 
Official documentation: http://apps.who.int/gb/pbac/e/e_extra2.html

 

Consultations after the 65th World Health Assembly

  • Draft twelfth general programme of work and proposed programme budget 2014–2015: overview of discussions by the regional committees
    Document EBPBAC/EXO2/3
    > Draft 12th GPW for regional committees pdf, 1.29MB
    > Draft proposed programme budget 2014-15 pdf, 840kb
  • WHO "non-Member State stakeholders" (!) consultation on the draft Twelfth General Programme of Work, 30 August –15 October 2012. Comments are published now.  
    who.int


Reform process at the 65th World Health Assembly, 21–26 May 2012,
and the 131th session of the WHO Executive Board, 28–29 May 2012

  • Doc A65-55 
    World Health Assembly resolution on WHO reform
    (part of Third report of Committee A)
  • Doc A65/5
    WHO reform: Consolidated report by the Director-General
  • Doc A65/5Add. 1
    Draft Twelfth General Programme of Work and explanatory notes
  • Doc A65/5 Add.2
    WHO reform: Independent evaluation report: stage one
  • A65/5 Add.3
    WHO reform: Draft decision proposed by the Secretariat
  • Doc A65/40
    Report by the WHO secretariat: Results of meeting on programs and priority setting
  • A65/43
    WHO reform: Sixth report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly
  • Doc A65/INF.DOC./6
    WHO reform: High-level implementation and monitoring framework

  • Doc EB131/3
    WHO reform: Draft formal evaluation policy

  • Doc EB131/10
    WHO reform: Revised terms of reference for the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board
Official documentations: 65th WHA  and 131st session of WHO EB

 

WHO reform process: background and first stages

WHO reform process: background and first stages

 

WHO reform debate: civil society positions

Reform process between EB meeting and World Health Assembly, 2013
Civil society statements, comments, resources

WHO reform and Global Health Governance.
Inputs from a DGH briefing on 7 May 2013

Comments on WHO’s engagement with non-State actors received during public web consultation, March 2013 , including:


Reform process at the 132nd EB meeting, 21-29 January 2013:

Civil society statements, comments, resources

  • Statement by MMI and the DGH Coalition
    on agenda item 5 (1), WHO Reform (philanthropic foundations, conflicts of interest)
  • Statement by MMI and the DGH Coalition
    on agenda item 5 (4), WHO Reform (independent evaluation)
  • Statement by MMI, PHM and the DGH Coalition
    on agenda item 11,  Programme and budget matters
  • Statement by Consumers International and IBFAN as part of the Conflict of Interest Coalition on agenda item 5 (1), WHO Reform (focus on conflicts of interest) - see also further documents on IBFAN website.
  • Oxfam letter to the Lancet, January 2013: Action to preserve WHO's core medicines-related roles — one year on (need to safeguard WHO's technical and normative foundations at global and country levels)


Papers published after the World Health Assembly 2012

  • DGH contribution to the Non-Member State stakeholders consultation on the Draft Twelfth General General Programme of Work (2014 -2019), October 2012 - pdf
  • WHO Watch Report: WHO Reform 2010-12
    People's Health Movement, WHO Watch, August 2012
    www.ghwatch.org
  • The WHO reform, controversial aspects and DGH proposals
    Remco van de Pas, 3rd People‘s Health Assembly, July 2012
    ppt slides as pdf

Reform process at the 65th WHA, 21-26 May 2012:
Civil society statements, comments, resources, events

  • Statement by NGO Forum for Health / World Council of Churches
    on WHO reform: Programmes and priorities, 24 May 2012 - PDF
  • Statement by Oxfam on the WHO reform
    24 May 2012 - PDF
  • Statement by IBFAN/Consumers International on „Engagement with stakeholders‟ and „Conflicts of Interest‟, 24 May 2012 - PDF
  • International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and Third World Network (TWN):
    WHA 2012: WHO Reform Undermines Democratic Participation and Transparency
    Comments  - PDF
  • Core statement of the Democratising Global Health Coalition
    on the WHO Reform (DGH)
    www.bit.ly/dgh-statement
  • WHO Watch: WHO reform - key issues for WHA65
    www.ghwatch.org/who-watch/wha65/whoreform
  • Civil society WHA side event on 23 May 2012 on the WHO reform: Democratic pathways for a sustainable leadership in global health.
    www.bit.ly/65wha-whoreform-sideevent

.....................
> Your statement missing? send it to us by e-mail (PDF or link)
> Older civil society statements on the WHO reform

 

Civil society networks and campaigns dealing with WHO reform

  • Democratising Global Health Coalition on the WHO Reform (DGH)
    "The Democratising Global Health Coalition on the WHO Reform (DGH) gathers a group of public interest NGOs and individuals committed to the realization of the right to health based on equity and universality, who highly value the constitutional mandate of the WHO for the realization of this right worldwide. We believe the stakes around the WHO are too high for the public health community NOT to be properly informed and come with a united voice, whenever possible, to safeguard the role for public policy and action that the WHO is mandated to serve. The DGH Coalition invites those public-interest organisations and citizens that share the same concerns on the WHO process, and vision for the future of WHO, to sign up to this statement and become members of the DGH coalition. United, we can make a much greater impact."

    > DGH core statement www.bit.ly/dgh-statement
    > DGH partners (2012): www.democratisingglobalhealth.org
    > DGH coordinator: Nicoletta Dentico
    > DGH side event at 65th WHA: www.bit.ly/65wha-whoreform-sideevent
    > DGH documents and statements are published on this page

  • People's Health Movement (PHM): WHO Watch
    WHO Watch is a resource for advocacy and mobilisation and an intervention in global health governance. WHO Watch provides a current account of global policy dynamics in relation to a wide and growing range of health issues. While the focus is on issues being considered through the WHO the background documentation provides a more broadly based account of these issues.

    > www.ghwatch.org/who-watch - a great resource, congratulations!
    > www.ghwatch.org/who-watch/topics/whoreform - topic page on WHO reform

 

WHO reform: more analysis and comments

2013

2012

  • Teeth for the Tiger. Strengthening the Role of the World Health Organisation in Global Health. AfGH Conference Report, October 2012
    www.tdh.de
  • Future of WHO hangs in the balance
    David Legge, October 2012
    www.bmj.com
  • Can WHO survive?
    Richard Horton, October 2012
    www.thelancet.com
  • Will the WHO reform bring money, voice and power behind public health?
    Rangarirai Machemedze, October 2012
    www.equinetafrica.org/newsletter
  • Who’s funding WHO?
    Andrew Harmer, June 2012
    www.globalhealthpolicy.net
  • (WHO donors) Gates Foundation, US, UK, Canada, Rotary Int., Norway and GAVI: Setting the agenda for global public health?
    Thiru Balasubramaniam, June 2012
    http://keionline.org/node/1430
  • Global health — an end of term report
    Richard Horton, May 2012
    www.thelancet.com
  • Reinventing the World Health Organization
    Thomas Bollyky, May 2012
    www.cfr.org
  • Healthy governance. How the WHO can regain its relevance
    By Devi Sridhar et al., May 2012
    www.foreignaffairs.com
  • Who is really helping WHO?
    Andreas Zumach, May 2012
    www.dw.de
  • Difficult task of setting priorities at the WHO
    Amanda Glassman, May 2012
    http://blogs.bmj.com
  • Urgent need for WHO's reform to prioritise core functions
    Mohga Kamal-Yanni and Philippa Saunders, May 2012
  • Global health governance and financing mechanisms
    Samantha Battams and Thiago Luchesi, May 2012
    www.globalhealtheurope.org
  • The European Union's voice and influence on global health and the reform of the World Health Organisation: the role of diplomacy
    Samantha Battams, Remco van de Pas, Louise van Schaik, May 2012
    www.globalhealtheurope.org
  • The WHO must reform for its own health
    Tikki Pang and Laurie Garrett, May 2012
    www.nature.com
  • The Reform of the WHO
    Petronellar Nyagura, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Geneva, May 2012
    www.ghd-net.org
  • WHO reform and public interest safeguards: An historical perspective
    Judith Richter in: Social Medicine, April 2012 (also in Spanish)
    www.socialmedicine.info
  • WHO under siege from private sector
    Tom Fawthrop in: Third World Resurgence, January/February 2012
    www.twnside.org.sg/title2/resurgence
  • WHO Reform debate to continue, February fixed for member-driven priority setting
    K. M. Gopakumar & Sangeeta Shashikant, TWN Info, January 2012
    www.twnside.org.sg
  • The World Health Organisation, its reform and its relevance
    Remco van de Pas, Wemos, Get involved blog, January 2012
    http://getinvolvedinglobalhealth.blogspot.com
  • Overhaul needed on rules on WHO-NGO' relationship
    Sangeeta Shashikant, TNW SUNS, January 2012, quoted from Ip-health
    lists.keionline.org/pipermail/ip-health_lists.keionline.org
  • WHO Reform: threats and opportunities. A healthier political functioning
    Centre for Global Health Policy and Innovation Blog, January 2012
    http://chpiglobalhealth.wordpress.com
  • Action to preserve WHO's core functions cannot wait for organisational reform
    Mohga M Kamal-Yanni, Oxfam, in: Lancet, January 2012
    www.thelancet.com
  • WHO Reform: Fit for purpose or fit for plucking?
    David Legge, Afro-Nets, January 2012
    www.afronets.org

2011

  • WHO reform at crossroads
    Mihály Kökény, EurActiv, December 2011
    www.euractiv.com
  • A healthier political functioning. WHO Reform: threats and opportunities
    Eduardo Missoni in: Bulletin of Medicus Mundi Switzerland, December 2011
    www.medicusmundi.ch
  • Global health leadership and the mandate of the WHO
    Iboro Ekpo Nta, Evolutionary content dissertation, November 2011
    www.medicusmundi.org
  • Third World Network: analysis of WHO EB Special Session
    K.M. Gopakumar and Heba Wanis, 2 November 2011 (pdf)
    K. M. Gopakumar and Sangeeta Shashikant, 11 November 2011 (pdf)
  • PHM comment on WHO consolidated reform paper
    For WHO EB Special Session, 1-3 November 2011
    www.ghwatch.org
  • Comment on WHO Reform Papers
    Third World Network, 16 September 2011
    www.ghwatch.org
  • Save WHO! Background to current WHO reform initiatives and possible advocacy messages
    David Legge on: Global Health Watch, September 2011
    www.ghwatch.org
  • WHO reform: members only (?)
    Comment by Thomas Schwarz, August 2011
    MMI ePlatform
  • “Irrelevant” WHO outpaced by younger rivals
    Nigel Hawkes in BMJ, August 2011 (extract only, no free access to the full text)
    www.bmj.com
  • WHO: Vague and inadequate reform plans criticised, nothing on financing
    Sangeeta Shashikant on: TWN Info Service, July 2011
    http://bit.ly/ptsuWR
  • WHO’s reform – a key challenge for the Member States
    Ilona Kickbusch in: Health Diplomacy Monitor, June 2011, p. 3 (pdf)
    http://ctpl.ca/sites/default/files/Health_Diplomacy_Monitor
  • WHO: Members' pressure leads to more inclusive reform process
    K. M. Gopakumar and S. Shashikant on: TWN Info Service, June 2011
    http://bit.ly/k2cack
  • Leveraging the World Health Organization’s Core Strenghts
    Margaret Reeves, Suzanne Brundage, CSIS report, May 2011
    http://csis.org
  • Revamp for WHO
    Declan Butler in: Nature, May 2011
    www.nature.com
  • The future of financing for WHO
    Medicus Mundi International Network: statement at WHA, May 2011
    MMI ePlatform
  • The future of financing for WHO
    PHM statement at WHA, May 2011
    www.ghwatch.org
  • Conflicts of Interest and the Future of Financing for WHO
    Health Action International (HAI) during WHA, May 2011
    http://haieuropestaffblog.blogspot.com
  • STOP the World Health Forum
    The IBFAN position during WHA, May 2011
    http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange
  • The future of financing for WHO
    World Health Organization: reforms for a healthy future. Report by WHO DG to World Health Assembly (WHA document A64/4) and development plan (document     A64_ID5-en), May 2011
    http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA64/A64_4-en.pdf
    and     http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA64/A64_ID5-en.pdf
  • Time to untie the knots: the WHO reform and the need of democratizing global health. "Delhi Statement", May 2011
    http://bit.ly/jTuA7b
  • How to set priorities for WHO
    Gaudenz Silberschmidt, Graduate Institute Global Health Programme Working Paper. May 2011 http://graduateinstitute.ch
  • WHO reform: construction work ahead!
    Comment by Thomas Schwarz, May 2011
    MMI ePlatform
  • Reforming the World Health Organization
    Devi Sridhar and Lawrence O. Gostin in: JAMA (2011)
    http://bit.ly/epV3nQ
  • The WHO and Global Health Governance
    Ad hoc advisory meeting, Geneva, 11 March 2011. A report and analysis for MMI and PHM can be ordered at the MMI secretariat
    WHO summary report

2010

  • Is the WHO becoming irrelevant?
    Why the world's premier public health organization must change or die. JC Chow in: FP (2010)
    www.foreignpolicy.com/
  • A stronger voice of civil society at the World Health Assembly?
    Comment by Thomas Schwarz, June 2010
    MMI ePlatform
  • Making WHO Work Better: An Advocacy Agenda for Civil Society
    A discussion document produced by the Global Health Watch (2006)
    www.ghwatch.org
See also our thematic guide "Global Health Governance"
- the issues are closely related

Short URL of this page: www.bit.ly/whoreformguide

 

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